N-Alkyl-pyrrolidones can act as solvents, surfactants, dispersants, detergents and emulsifiers, and thus are useful in a wide variety of applications. N-Alkyl-pyrrolidones are components, for example, in cleaners such as industrial, metal and surface cleaners, paint strippers, printing inks, gasoline and oil additives, industrial coatings and detergents. N-Alkyl-pyrrolidones are also useful in oil and gas well maintenance, polymer synthesis, photoresist applications, agricultural and pharmaceutical manufacture and paper manufacture.
Angelica lactone can be prepared from renewable resources (U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,203) and represents a novel, low cost starting material for the production of N-alkyl-pyrrolidones.
Wedler, et al. (Journal. f. prakt. Chemie (1990) 332:557–562) discuss a process for producing 5-hydroxy-1,5-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidone by reacting α-angelica lactone with methylamine. Dehydration of this product resulted in the formation of the unstable 5-methylene-N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, rather than the desired 1,5-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidone.
An efficient and low cost process for the production of diverse alkyl pyrrolidones would be advantageous.